Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Jaxon
“Skydiving?” Lily practically shrieked with a what-in-the-actual-heck expression of disbelief pinching her brows. “You brought me skydiving?”
Yesterday I went to the lake house, planning to finish laying the tiles in the primary bathroom, but instead ended up sulking around the property, lost in my head the entire day, getting shit-all done.
What I hadn’t anticipated was Lily showing up and baring her beautiful soul.
I didn’t lie when I told her the reason she left didn’t matter because what mattered the most was that she’d come back. I’d spent far too long lost in a toxic mix of fear and anger, imagining the worst, then placating my theory about her family.
So, seeing her back here, breathing, and alive—it was enough.
I trusted her to tell me, when she was ready, the backstory, but the weight that left me once I learned the truth was like lifting a veil and shining a light on the shadows that lurked in the corners of my mind.
The reality that she thought I’d be angry with her for choosing her family and protecting me was admirable. My brave girl sacrificed herself, and that was something I’d never forget. But her father—I couldn’t begin to reconcile the weight of what he’d done. How could a father be so selfish?
Yet, I knew better than to search for the logic in human behavior, as there was often no rhyme or reason for why certain people put their interests above those of others in that manner so deliberately.
In life, we are all born with instincts, whether we realize it or not, and sometimes those instincts can lead us astray with a single decision.
It was often then that we faced a choice: learn from our mistakes and grow, or keep making them.
But betrayal from a parent had to cut deep in a way that was unparalleled to any other kind of pain. Life blessed my brothers and me in the parent department, but I also knew it was a rare blessing these days.
“I take it you’ve never been?” I asked.
“What have I ever done that’s given you the impression I’d want to hurl myself out of a plane from what, ten thousand feet in the air or more?”
“I know you; you’ll hate it right up until the second you absolutely love it because you’re fearless at heart,” I said, smiling, because she was just too darn cute when she was being sarcastic.
“I used to be that girl,” she paused. “Leaving changed me. The old me is gone.”
I reached for her hand and brought it to my lips, placing a soft, reassuring kiss on her skin.
“Nah, she’s not gone. She’s stronger and more resilient than ever, not to mention even more stunningly beautiful, if that’s possible.”
“Jaxon, please—” I loved the soft blush dusting across her cheekbones.
“Listen, the way I see it is you’ve carried some immense guilt these last ten years, and I want nothing more than to free you of it.
Last night, opening up and trusting me with the truth, I’m so proud of you, Lily.
But there’s something still missing when I look deep in your eyes.
It makes me suspect you’ve unknowingly surrounded yourself with people who didn’t appreciate or respect you enough to let you shine, and I want to help you get your power back.
I want to help you find peace in your soul and be comfortable in your own skin again. ”
“Jaxon, I—” She tucked her lips between her teeth. That simple action told me I’d hit the nail on the head.
“I know you’re afraid to fall, but trust me when I say I’ve got you, both physically and,” I tapped the side of her head with my finger, “here. I’d never let anything happen to you, I promise, and who knows, you might even become addicted to the adrenaline rush like Lakelyn did.
Boden says she’s a full-on adventure seeker now. ”
“Wow, so you guys all jump now? How long has this place been here?”
“I think it’s coming up on its seventh anniversary? And yes, we all jump, except Ford; under the terms of his contract, he can’t take part in any extreme sports.”
“I still can’t believe he’s in the majors. Getting that call-up must have been a really special moment for your family,” I said, thinking back to how that wasn’t the only wild thing, but I wasn’t ready to talk about the rest yet.
I mean, what were the odds that Jaxon’s brother would get scouted and end up playing for the only major league baseball team in Canada, that just so happened to be an hour from where I lived and attended college?
I’d call it one in a hundred million.
Back then, it felt like the universe was messing with me, teasing me with a link to my past that I couldn’t quite reach.
When the news broke a year into his contract, that Ford was a single father, the media jumped on the story and had a field day. It made me sick to my stomach. No one deserved to be subjected to public scrutiny, especially over that—something so personal.
I remembered hearing whispers that his family took turns helping out, but the team brought in security and kept things locked down tight and private.
I was grateful for that, because thinking about the possibility of Jaxon being nearby was too much; I had to push anything and everything Fisher family-related out of my mind.
“That was a core memory for all of us; that’s for darn sure. So what do you say, beautiful, you with me?”
“Always.”
“What made you get your certification?” Lily asked as we approached the building hand in hand.
“I met this guy Leif back in Los Angeles. He was a cousin of one of my roommates when I was there for the academy. He’s a former Navy SEAL and in the process of starting his own private security firm, like rogue special ops, etcetera.
One night, I lost a bet over poker and the rest, as they say, is history.
” I reached forward and pulled the door open for her to enter before me.
“Jaxon, my man,” Carl stood up from behind the reception desk, after doing a double take, and walked around the counter holding his hand out. “It’s been a few months.” We shook hands and clapped each other on the back.
“It has indeed, my friend.” I looked at Lily. “Lily, this is Carl, although he’s grown up quite a bit since you saw him last.”
“Wait, like little Carlson? You’re Mr. Smythe’s son?”
“The one and only, in the flesh.” He beamed proudly, patting his chest.
His dad was the longest-tenured teacher in our small town until a year ago, and always a crowd favorite among his students.
“Carl, this is my girl, Lily.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Carl shook her hand. “Again, I suppose I should say.”
“Likewise. How’s your dad doing?”
“He’s retired now; he and Mom are in their travel era.”
“It’s well deserved, I’m sure. You have no idea how much I wished your dad were still my teacher throughout all my science courses in college; he set the bar really high back in Biology.”
“That’s awesome, I’ll be sure to mention that next time we chat. They’re somewhere in Greece at the moment, exploring.”
“Oh.” She pursed her lips before they turned upward with a giant smile. “That’s on my bucket list of places to visit one day.”
Interesting, I thought, filing that little nugget away for later.
“I’m sure once they’re back, my mom would happily pass along all the tips, tricks, and best places to spend your time and money, depending on what you’re looking for. They’ve been gone, coming up on four weeks.”
“Wow,” both Lily and I said in unison.
“Yeah, Mom doesn’t do anything halfway. Her itineraries make me tired just looking at them, not sure how they pull it off at their age, but they do. She even makes these super cool photo books after each vacation. Now those I could spend all day admiring.”
“That’s awesome and super adventurous of them to be gone for so long. I’d love to reconnect when the timing is right. I remember your mom fondly, as well.”
“You got it. I’ll just message Jaxon once they’re back and settled.”
“Honestly, no rush. It’s not like I’m in the position to go away anywhere like that now anyway.” She shrugged, and I didn’t like the resignation in her voice.
“Right, so, ah, Jaxon. You know where to go and get all set up. I’ll give Terry a ring and make sure we’re still wheels up in twenty. Did you want me to tag along and record the jump?”
I looked to Lily to gauge her thoughts. “What do you think?”
“Is it normal to do that?” she asked.
“Yes, but it’s not a requirement or anything formal. Some people like documenting the experience; it can be a fun memory to look back on.”
“I’d love that, so sure, let’s do it.”
“That’s my girl.” I smiled at her before confirming with Carl. “Thanks, man.”
While Lily looked cute as hell in her yellow jumpsuit, she had gone quiet on me in the equipment hangar. I suspected her nerves were preparing for battle as I helped her step into the tandem harness, and the reality of what we were about to do began to sink in.
Once all the straps were in place, I adjusted the chest and leg straps over her slight frame.
I even tried cracking a joke while I double-checked my work, giving each buckle a firm tug to make sure everything was locked in the proper position, but she didn’t budge.
Only offered me a tight smile that had me second-guessing my own instincts to bring her here.
“Lily, if you’d rather not do this, it’s okay. Don’t be afraid to tell me. We can leave right now if that’s what you want; it’s no big deal.”
“No, I want to do this with you. I’m just anxious, is all, and all up in my head giving myself a mental pep-talk.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, positive.”
“All right, I’m going to put your goggles here.” I opened the hook on her shoulder and slid the elastic over the metal clasp before taking a step back to admire her. “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any cuter.”
“Oh? So, you like the fashion statement I’m currently making?” She jutted her hip out to one side.
“I do, I do,” I sing-songed and added a wink for good measure.
She then lifted her yellow-sleeved arms and held them together above her head. “Do you find me appealing?” she asked, leisurely lowering one arm to her side with a giggle.
“The best damn banana I’ve ever seen.”
“Okay, you two ready to go?” Carl called out from behind me.
“Yes, sir.”
Carl and I did our run-through of the checklist again before boarding.
“Watch your head as there’s a metal bar across the top of the door just inside,” I instructed over my shoulder as she climbed the three portable stairs up into the plane behind me and settled between my legs on the floor with her back to my chest.
“Are you good?” I shouted as the plane lifted into the air.
She gave me a thumbs-up.
“Just remember, feeling scared is totally normal; it’s your body’s way of recognizing and responding to something unfamiliar, being challenged, and testing your boundaries. Your head knows you’re about to do something so powerful and momentous that an adrenaline rush can be confusing.”
Lily nodded her head in front of me.
“It’s okay to acknowledge our fears, just don’t let them win and remember, ‘you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think.’”
She jerked forward and looked over her shoulder. “Did you just quote Pooh Bear?”
“Actually, it was Christopher Robin who said it, I’ll have you know.” I laughed.
“Sorry, my bad.” She patted her chest. “I didn’t realize you were so up on your bedtime stories?”
“Nah, that quote stuck with me from one of the times I read Maxim a story at bedtime at my parents’.”
“You’re a really good guy, Jaxon.”
“Glad you think so, and hopefully you’ll still feel that way after we’ve jumped out of a plane together at fourteen thousand feet.” I unclipped her eye goggles, slid them over her head and into place, tucking underneath her ponytail, before putting mine on.
“You could have kept that little detail to yourself, mister. I didn’t need to know that.”
“But where’s the fun in that? You’re going to need that factoid for bragging rights afterward.” I tilted my wrist and saw we were approaching ten thousand feet. “All right, push up into a kneeling position. I’m going to connect us now.”
Carl checked us over again and made sure every clip, strap, and release pull were all set to go before the three of us moved into position once the red light changed to green on the wall beside the plane’s main door, letting us know we’d reached the jumping altitude.
“Just remember what I said: arch your back, chin up, and thumbs hooked in the straps until I tap your shoulder.”
“Okay.” She smiled confidently over her shoulder, and fuck, if I wasn’t out of my mind with excitement to give her this experience.
Carl opened the hatch door, gave us the thumbs-up, and off he went, jumping first to get into position to capture us.
“Let’s do this, on three—two—one. Jump!”